Viewing category: relationship coach

"Get a room!" We've all heard this phrase at some point, and we've all probably used it ourselves. It's muttered, or said loudly, when a couple is displaying too much affection in a public space. At some point the public display of affection crosses a line and is no longer appropriate.
But where is the line drawn? And who draws it?
It's going to depend on where you are. In the United States, public displays of affection like holding hands and hugging and brief kisses are acceptable to most people. When you're in public, you understand that there are many different types of people around you, ... Read more

Age Is Just a Number: A Rant Against “Acting One’s Age”
A strange phenomenon happens when you’ve lived for a full five decades. “Silent rules’ begin to be imposed upon your behavior. These affect the way you dress, hairstyle, dance, and even decorate. Younger members of society, and even some older ones too, might tell you that it doesn’t matter how you dress- that you can ‘get away with’ glaring fashion faux pas because of your age. Jokes about breaking a hip are made whenever you wander out onto the dance floor, and your whole family seems to assume that because you’re ‘older’ now ... Read more

If you’ve ever seen Seinfeld, then chances are you remember the episode where George Costanza explains to Jerry Seinfeld about one of his biggest dating fears – what would happen if his independent self and his dating self were to meet – or when the two worlds would collide. He reveals the fear because Elaine had invited Susan (George’s girlfriend) to go out for a night on the town, as per Jerry’s suggestion. George has a fit because this means that Susan would become part of his friendship group as well, and worlds would collide. Take a look for yourself: George: Well, that was a really ... Read more

Knockout Negative Self-Talk
It sounds a bit cruel, but you are the only person that you’ll be able to count on for your entire adult life. Lovers may leave; parents may pass away. And friendships? Well, they may flop. What’s more, if you’re like much of the population, your siblings may be scattered across the nation, making flying out to see them every time you have a crisis simply unfathomable. Therefore, you should really be investing more in your relationship with yourself. This includes breaking bad habits and taking sound care of both your mind and body (you only get one!). You can ... Read more

Should you be more assertive?
Have you ever ‘had to’ bail on a family get together or date because your boss needed someone to cover a shift and you thought, “If I don’t do this, nobody else will…”? Ever been kept up all night by a neighbor’s barking dog, but chose to complain about it vaguely on social media rather than speak to your neighbor directly? Perhaps you have told the waiter at an expensive restaurant that your food was “good”, “delicious”, or “fine” when it was really over-cooked because you did not want to inconvenience anyone? Maybe your friend suggests the same (awful) ... Read more